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2013 MCAT Success – Part 1

October 24, 2014

Psychology Today by Ray Williams, there are many reasons that people start to not follow through with their original resolution and I want to focus on a couple points specifically from that article that might help put you on track for MCAT success in 2013!

Focus on one solution rather than several. – Don’t go out and just say I am going to study 3 hours every day on each of the sections of the MCAT. If you began with that routine you would be at 9 hours a day of just MCAT studying! Remember those other things in your life… school, research, extracurricular, family and friends, and maybe some down time?!

Have an accountability buddy, someone close to you that you have to report to – This can be the key to sticking to that MCAT resolution. Try finding someone who will have the right balance of keeping you motivated but also reeling you back in when you are going on 12 hour study marathons and haven’t seen the outside of the library in weeks….

Focus on the present. What’s the one thing you can do today, right now, towards your goal? – Tomorrow you can’t just take a full length practice test and magically see your score increase, because frankly, it won’t. You need to start small and take the appropriate steps to get there. How about today you focus on electrostatics? Yes I know that terribly painful subject in Physics, however, one of your biggest opportunities to increase your score! The small steps build to the great journey!

Be mindful. Become physically, emotionally and mentally aware of your inner state as each external event happens, moment by moment, rather than living in the past or future. – This is the KEY with MCAT studying. So many students go on “study binges” where they sit in the library for hours on end. While this is great time spent in the library, it tends to burn you out and when you wake up the next morning the last thing you want to do is study for the MCAT. Take care of yourself, you need to find that balance, so that you are physically, emotionally, and mentally happy!

Yes, I said it. You can be HAPPY when studying for the MCAT. In my next post we are going to follow up on this with how to be truly happy in MCAT studying this year! Take the challenge I dare you…

Patrick Boyle
I am a former Kaplan MCAT student that excelled on my exam through the Kaplan methods and began teaching for Kaplan at the University of Illinois – Urbana – Champaign center. Upon graduation I moved back to the Chicagoland area and became a full time teacher in our Chicago centers. I really strive to bring enthusiasm and energy to the classroom believing a positive attitude sets the tone for success! When I am not teaching the MCAT, you can find me training for triathlons or picking which bow tie to wear next!

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